NUC approves technical varsity for Oyo

The Oyo State government has secured the approval of the National Universities Commission (NUC) for the establishment of a technical university in Ibadan.

The university has been situated at the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and the first set of students will start in September 2013.

With this development, the institution becomes the 38th state university and 125th university in Nigeria .

In his speech at the event which was held at the commission’s office in Abuja , Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi said the university was fashioned after some renowned universities abroad.

He said: “We are here to seek approval for the establishment of our university. Our university, the Technical University, Ibadan was modelled after technical universities in Taiwan, Massachusetts, SAE in Dubai amongst others. Nigeria has a lot of professionals at both higher and lower levels.

“We are establishing a unique university where emphasis will be marrying the classroom to industry and theory to practice. And that makes it unique and our curriculum will include courses that are normally not available in Nigeria such as mechatronics, cyberspace security, aircraft engineering and other unique courses but more importantly, we want to make it a world-class university; and with the calibre of teachers we would employ, there is no doubt that it will be one of the best in the world.”

Ajimobi added foremost construction companies such as Julius Berger Plc go overseas to recruit technicians, adding that against the foregoing, there is the need to go for a university with technical background.”

According to him, Oyo State has always been a pace setter, “We started the first university in Nigeria and now we are setting up the first technical university in Nigeria,” Ajimobi added.

Ajimobi said the university is “tailor made to fit into industrialisation;

“Around that university, we are going to have different industries and even inside the university. We have already signed up with three companies-both national and internal companies that will situate their companies inside the university for practical training.”

The governor said practical would have an edge over lecture. Classroom /practical work will be in ration of 30:70.

The NUC Executive Secretary Prof. Julius Okojie, said the success that is being anticipated in the new university would be a consolidation oif the success of The Polytechnic, Ibadan, owned by the state.

He said: “If we are failing, it is not because of the university system but because of the lack of facilities to train our graduates. The nation’s universities of technology have lost focus.”

The NUC boss also insisted on the need to revisit the ownership crisis at the Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomosho saying: “the LAUTECH medical school is dead.”

Okojie said, “We have no reason to quarrel over university ownership and system. We will ensure that the Oyo State Technical University grows and survives. We will also ensure that the standards of Nigerian universities are maintained. What matters to me is what value a university is adding to its host community.”